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2. The Lamb is Authorized With the Fullness of the Power of God (Revelation 5:7)
REVELATION 5:7
7 Then he came, and he took it out of the right hand of him who sat on the throne.
With grandiose simplicity John describes the enthronement of Jesus Christ in heaven which took place in one moment: He came and received!
We do not know when and in which way Jesus draw near to the holy God of love. It is not described whether he bowed down, prostrated and kissed the feet of his Father, as it is thought of in Nigeria. People in Arabian countries imagine that he hugged him and kissed his forehead. All such things are not important for John. Only one thing was decisive for time and eternity, namely, he came and received!
Some translators render, he came and took! Yet the term "take" has several meanings. The Son does not lay hold anything and does not take wilfully anything from the hand of his Father, but he waits until the Father gives it to him.
The Son received his mission (John 17:18; 20:21), his anointing (Luke 4:18-19) and all fruits of his life (John 3:35; 17:7) from his Father.
Jesus testified his continuous dependence on his Father, "The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he sees the Father do; for whatever he does, the Son does in like manner" (John 5:19-24).
The Son did not speak his own words, but the Father gave them to him (John 14:10; 17:8). His works did not originate from himself but from his Father who dwelled in him (John 5:36; 14:10; 17:4). He gave him the commandment to pass on eternal live (John 12:49-50). God revealed his father-name to his Son (John 17:11-12) and publicly bore witness that Jesus is his beloved Son (John 5:37; Matthew 3:17 and other verses).
The Father has given all judgment to him (John 5:22; Daniel 7:13-14; Acts 10:42) and granted to him the glory, the sum of all godly qualities (John 17:22).
The Father particularly recommended those warmly to the Son, whom he had chosen from the world (John 17:6), so that he do not lose anyone of them (John 6:39; 10:29). Jesus confessed that nobody could come to him unless it is granted to him by the Father (John 6:37+65; 17:7+9+24).
Jesus remained lowly by heart and had a gentle character (Matthew 11:29). He did not exalt himself as Allah does in Islam who calls himself "the Superb" (Sura al-Hashr 59:23).
Jesus remained lowly even at the highest level of his existence, when he received from his Father along with the delivery of the scroll of the revelation all power in heaven and on earth.
Strangely enough the Greek text does not read that Jesus received "the scroll" from the hand of him who sits on the throne, it reads only, He received from his hand. The scroll was not the most important thing, but rather the receiver and his relationship to him who sat on the throne. The transfer of the authority authenticated the unity of the Trinity. In heaven there were strong feelings of expectation!
The Father gave all power and authority, life and judgment, past and future, to his Son – one of the most decisive events ever had happened or will happen.
A division of authority did not take place when the scroll was passed on, as fullness remains fullness even after it had been passed on. One may rather speak of a multiplication of power. The fullness of life, love, authority and all rights dwell in the Father as well as in the Son and in the Holy Spirit. The holiness is threefold. The glory of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit rest in each other, but not side by side. All of this and even more received the Son from his Father when he arrived triumphantly in heaven. 'The purpose of the ascension of Christ was his enthronement. He sat down with his Father on his Father's throne (Revelation 3:21). The witness of his faith on earth was confirmed gloriously (Matthew 11:27; 28:18; John 17:20-24).
The lion of the tribe of Judah did not appear as "superman", but as a slain lamb. Solely the Lamb of God was worthy and able to receive the whole cosmos out of the hand of the Father.
In the Qur’an we read several verses about those who are close to Allah. They live in gardens of delight lying on decorated comfortable couches. A great number of Houris, being virgins and ready for making love, are available for them (Sura al-Waqi'a 56:10-41). Isa, son of Mary, Gabriel, Michael, the "spirit of the holy", Abraham, Moses and Aaron belong to those to be brought close to Allah, according to Qur’an. What a blasphemy!
Neither Jesus nor the Holy Spirit can be of godly nature according to Islam. For in Islam it is a sin which cannot be forgiven to maintain that there is another godly person except Allah. Allah is always only one person. If there were several godly persons, there would be a palace revolution in heaven inevitably according to comprehension of Islam. Allah is neither humble nor is he love. Being a dictator and anti-Christian despot he always remains alone. Therefore in Islam an enthronement of the Lamb of God and passing on authority is impossible. Islam does not know a voluntary humble submission and a self-denying out of an attitude of a holy love and a unity in the Holy Spirit.
PRAYER: Humble Christ, we worship you because You did not boast of or honor Yourself, but You glorified Your Heavenly Father at all times, and accomplished His will on the cross. Your Father accepted Your humility and delivered to You the leadership of the universe and the last judgment. Help us to learn humility from You and lead us with Your Spirit to obey You at all times.
QUESTION:
- How was the authority of God delivered to Jesus?